Recent Tweets

RSS

All pictures are my own unless specified

saks

One of the most loveliest fusion dining experiences in Dubai is Qbara. It is housed where Planet Hollywood used to be, next to Raffles Hotel. Qbara evokes a contemporary stylist Arabic setting. It boasts two levels whilst ensuring a double-height for the ground floor, giving a treat to the eyes from wherever you are seated.

The main artistic highlight of Qbara is the double-height wall behind the bar which showcases a 3D mapping projection. The wall is made up of different engraved wooden panels. The projection serves to lift the panels off the wall to appear three dimensionally and move. Your eyes follow the motion and are constantly fooled by its animation.

In my opinion, it takes inspiration from the 3D projection done on the Saks Fifth Avenue building in New York. It follows a similar show by beautifully executing the visualization.

3D Mapping Projection at Qbara

The projections vary after that sequence. It transcends to a silhouette of a man who is running and appears to be hamster wheel. The man progresses to surf and do different actions. At one moment you can also see the iconic Beatles pose crossing the road, silhouetted of course. Later you can also spot cartoon characters.

This set is very reminiscent of the title sequences seen in the movie “Catch me if you can” and the show “Mad Men”. You see Saul Bass’s graphic style in modern day title sequences. He is an American graphic designer best known for his title sequences such as “The Man with the Golden Arm”.

Go and immerse yourself into its content and let your imagination interpret its meaning. Personally for me, the silhouetted treatment means it can help anyone relate to its identity. Thus people can imagine doing the actions or being in the situations that the animation unfolds such as running in a circular wheel, caught in a tidal wave or even hitting a dead end.